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Walmart's Support for Women Farmers in Africa

Under our Global Women’s Economic Empowerment Initiative we committed to training one million women globally by the end of 2016 and an important area of focus is women in the agriculture supply chain.

As you may have heard, last week during the Africa Leaders Summit we announced that the Walmart Foundation will fund training for 135,000 farmers – 80,000 of whom are women - in Africa by 2016. We are pleased to be working in partnership with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and leading NGOs to support these projects.

Let me tell you more about these important programs. First, the Walmart Foundation funding is supporting the expansionof USAID’sEjo Hezaprogram in Rwanda which provides training to 50,000 farmers -- 30,000 of them women -- on agricultural techniques. Training will emphasize production of corn, beans, dairy farming and horticultural crops, and is being implemented by Global Communities.

Second, inZambia,Walmart Foundation funding will support the expansion of the Women’s Improved Marketing and Asset Control (WIMAC) program reaching 45,000 farmers - 22,500 of whom are women. WIMAC will empower women farmers through building skills and leadership in agriculture; training on improved production and post-harvest practices; and facilitation of market linkages between buyers, suppliers and service providers. WIMAC, which is being implemented by Agribusiness Systems International, will also provide training to partner organizations in business fundamentals.

Lastly, Walmart Foundation funding will support the expansion of the One Acre Fund program in Kenya to up-skill 40,000 small farmers, including 28,000 women. The grant will enable these Kenyan farmers to improve their agricultural practices and market access, which is expected to result in a doubling of farm income in one planting season. The project will help farmers receive high-quality farm inputs, such as seed and fertilizer, and credit and post-harvest support. This, in turn, will mean they can participate more fully and fairly in the rural agriculture value chain.

Smallholder farmers and women are critical to addressing food security. Through these and other programs under our Women’s Economic Empowerment initiative we are contributing to improving the livelihoods of women in Africa and around the world.